Hortipower.nl is a new initiative by KG Greenhouses and offers a number of innovative battery systems. Horticulture already plays an important role in the energy market, and with the option of installing battery systems, this role can be further expanded.
Marco van Trigt is now conducting initial discussions with various customers about which type of batteries are best suited for their specific location and how the energy storage system can be deployed as optimally as possible.
In addition, Hortipower.nl is investigating whether there is sufficient space on the transformer, whether a trading contract needs to be created, as well as looking at how the system can be financed.
Hortipower.nl offers energy storage systems as a way to take advantage of fluctuations in the energy market. In this way, they offer growers an opportunity to generate more income.
The energy transition means that electricity generation can vary from hour to hour. At the moment, supply and demand can still be kept in balance by adjusting gas and coal-fired power stations. In the future, however, the generation of electricity will depend more and more on the amount of wind and sun at that moment. This means that it is no longer guaranteed that supply will meet demand, but it can just as easily happen that supply exceeds demand. The electricity system only functions when supply and demand (feed-in and feed-out) are equal to each other. If supply and demand deviate from each other, the system will become unbalanced. The trick, therefore, is to bring supply and demand into balance with each other at all times. Due to the unstable nature of renewable energy sources, there is a great need for flexibility in the energy system. Electricity storage is one way of meeting this need. It is therefore expected that electricity storage will grow considerably in the coming years.
Trading on energy markets
Energy storage makes it possible to separate generation from consumption and to optimize the return to the grid by selling the stored energy when the price is highest. Hortipower.nl's energy storage system can be used on all relevant energy markets (Day-ahead, Intraday, Imbalance) as well as the balancing markets FCR and aFRR. The corresponding fees make for an interesting business case. In addition, as of 1 January 2022, the energy tax is abolished when charging an energy storage tank connected to the electricity grid.
In cooperation with partners, Hortipower.nl can offer automated control of the storage system. This involves making accurate predictions of imbalance prices and minute-by-minute management of these imbalance prices. By optimizing the charging and discharging of the battery system, income is generated.
Getting the most out of solar power
More and more commercial roofs are being fitted with solar panels, and the first solar panels are now also being installed on water basins. At peak times, when there is a lot of sun, the energy price sometimes even drops to negative values. At present, the solar panels are automatically switched off in such cases, so the energy that can be generated is lost at this point. If a battery storage is present, this energy that would otherwise be lost can be stored in the battery. The grower can use the stored energy later, for example, to switch on the lighting in the evening.
Two types of batteries
Hortipower.nl is the exclusive dealer of Zenon Energy for the national and international horticultural industry. Zenon Energy designs and builds battery systems in their new factory in Arnhem. The energy storage systems are supplied ready to use in a standard container format. There is a choice between two types of batteries;
SuperTitan
These batteries, which consist of a combination of mainly Titanium-based substances, have a life span of 25 years. The SuperTitan is extremely suitable for trading on the energy markets. The battery can cope with a very high number of cycles, which means that it can be charged and discharged several times a day without deteriorating in quality. The main pillars of the storage system with SuperTitan batteries are the technical design of the construction, the unique cooling system, and the control management system.
Due to the use of Titanium as the main component, the SuperTitan is recognized by the industry as the safest battery and, therefore, can be easily insured.
SuperStrata
As a cheaper alternative, there is the Superstrata in the form of a new generation lithium phosphate (LFP) battery. The lifespan of the LFP battery is 10 years. This battery is very suitable to be used in a storage system to expand capacity or to store own energy production from solar panels.
For more information:
Hortipower.nl
Marco van Trigt
T: +31 (0) 10 52 12 644
E: vantrigt@keesgreeve.nl
www.hortipower.nl